Monday, February 8, 2010

I never know what to do with the "giblets" that come inside a chicken, is there a simple way to make them delicious?

There is.
Unfortunately the vast majority of these little goody bags inside the chicken go directly in the garbage. Many home cooks wince at the thought of having to process these bits and pieces, or maybe at the thought of having to eat them. But the truth is they're tasty, and easy to deal with.

You can make a quick "pate". It's not something people do very often, but a it can be a simple process. For those who have trouble with the idea of eating innards, the method kind of disguises what your consuming.
This is great just spread on good bread as an appetizer.

Quick Giblet Pate

1 Pkg. "Giblets"- heart, gizzard, liver (cut the gizzard and heart in pieces)
Chicken Skin (equivalent of 3"x3" piece), seasoned well with salt
1 Shallot, minced
4 tbsps Port (you could also use- cognac, brandy, sherry or madiera)+ a 1 splash
4 oz. Butter, cut into half inch cubes, room temp.

1. Over medium low heat, render the chicken skin until it is nicely browned and has released some fat into the skillet. Remove the skin pieces and reserve.


2. With the same heat, slowly cook the giblets giblets until sightly browned. Remove from the pan and place the giblets, along with the skin in the freezer.








3. Again over the same heat, sweat out the shallot until translucent. Add the port and allow to simmer and reduce by about half. Transfer to a bowl and and put that bowl in the freezer as well.






4. Once everything has cooled (about 10-15 min.) place the giblets and skin in a food processor and using pulses chop them very well. Because of the size of the processor relative to the stuff you put in it, you'll have to scrape down the sides often.
5. Once chopped, add in the butter and extra splash of port. Using pulses again, incorporate until smooth.

Optional: I like to leave it a little rustic, but if you wanted it completely smooth you could pass the mix through a tami or strainer at this point.

Put the pate in a serving bowl, cover it well and stick it in the fridge. It will hold well for up to five days. To consume, set it out and allow it to soften a little bit.
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